Created on Thursday, 17 October 2013
Written by LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Ndamukong Suh has been fined by the NFL.

Again.

The Detroit Lions defensive tackle was docked $31,500 by the league for a hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the fine had not been announced.

Suh insisted earlier in the day he was unaware the NFL was reviewing his actions during Sunday's game, but acknowledged being used to the scrutiny.

"I think there is always going to be a microscope on me," he said. "I think there has been a microscope on me since I was first drafted."

Since Detroit selected Suh No. 2 overall in 2010, he has been fined seven times for more than $200,000. He lost $165,294 in pay during a two-game suspension in his second season for stomping on the right arm of Green Bay's Evan Dietrich-Smith.

Earlier this season, Suh was docked $100,000 for an illegal block on Minnesota center John Sullivan in Week 1 during an interception return. He lost an appeal last week, upholding the largest fine in NFL history for on-field conduct, not counting suspensions.

Suh wasn't penalized for his latest act that drew discipline, but it was shown on a video posted on NFL.com as vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said he wanted to look at it more for "potential helmet to the body."

Blandino later said in an interview with the NFL Network that Suh made contact with the "forehead-hairline," on the hit.

"Not to the head or neck, but the rule does prohibit that contact to the body," Blandino said.

Lions center Dominic Raiola — perhaps Suh's most vocal supporter — saw Suh's hit on Weeden after he threw a pass and said it was "ridiculous" that the league was even considering discipline.

"The guy is violent, football is a violent game," Raiola said. "I don't think you can ever make hitting somebody soft."

Raiola noted the officials had a better view, and didn't throw a flag.

"They were right there," Raiola recalled. "It was a football play, to me. But I guess maybe my view of football now is different than the way football is viewed now. I really don't know what they're looking at."

Blandino said he told NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks that it should've been called roughing the passer.

"The direction the official is when you see that action again, throw the flag," Blandino told the NFL Network.

Suh knows the league is looking at everything he does, saying nothing in life is fair, but said it won't make him want to leave the game.

"Not everything is going to go your way in life," he said. "I understood that and grew up that way. It's just like for me, I wanted a Nintendo 64 when I was little and my mom said, 'No.' I had to deal with it."

And, now the Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) have to deal Suh on Sunday when they play at Detroit (4-2). Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth said Suh's after-whistle hits have diminished his ability to be known as a great player, but doesn't think he's a dirty player.

"He's not dirtier than guys that played the game back in the day," Whitford said. "The real truth is now he plays the game in an era where there's a TV camera covering every single possible thing on the field and a lot of stuff gets put on film. People know about it. Outside of that, people would never even know some of these antics. I think he plays the game on the borderline level with a lot of intensity and sometimes it carries on into extra stuff."